


Infinitesimal

by NOT_TOWA_WAKASA



Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Aquariums, M/M, Secret Shinigami Exchange 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-26 05:17:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14993624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NOT_TOWA_WAKASA/pseuds/NOT_TOWA_WAKASA
Summary: Two university students go on a date. Originally written for the L’s Death day 2017 exchange.





	Infinitesimal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [babelfell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/babelfell/gifts).



This was the first time Nate had been made to consider what exactly counted as a date outfit. Regarding the many thresholds of socially acceptable fashion, Nate spent most of his life sitting comfortably within _forgivably apathetic_ , excusing only the times he had worn suits for school events and funerals. The state of his wardrobe was far from prepared to answer such a question. In place of one, Nate put on as many pieces as he could comfortably fit onto himself; a large coat, a season-appropriate scarf, the only pair of jeans he owned that didn’t bag around the heels of his feet, and even a belt that he hadn’t thought to wear in months.

Even given the weather, it was likely one or two layers too many. Nate told himself that if Light really cared how he dressed, that was his own problem.

He felt different upon actually seeing him, though. A red v-neck sweater slid neatly over a faint-grey-vertical-striped dress shirt brought just over a rich brown belt and fitted jeans. Nate always appreciated Light’s neat, cropped looks, so much different from his own.

He felt acutely underdressed. “You dress like my dad,” Nate told him.

Light rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you meant that as a compliment.”

That more or less set the tone for their date.

“Is there any reason you wanted to go to an aquarium?”

Light’s face was washed in a deep blue, fractals of artificial light and shade cast by fish swimming overhead dancing across his features. Hands in his pockets, he watched the display before him as he spoke, slowly making his way through the tunnel.

Nate liked aquariums, but he typically preferred them in the form that fit on a shelf in a psychiatrist’s lobby. In reality, Light mentioned once that he’d gone to an aquarium on a date once back when he lived in Japan. Nate wasn’t sure how exactly that fit into things, but it couldn’t be a _bad_ idea.

“It sounded date-like,” he answered. “Are you not into marine biology?”

“Not my major,” Light snorted, and looked back at him. “I associate places like these with field trips. You know, primary school, junior high, going out to pet goats.”

Nate tried picturing a much smaller Light being lead by the hand through this place, complete with a laminated name-tag hanging from his neck. “You could have suggested something else if you didn’t like the idea.”

“It wasn’t an accusation. This feels nostalgic,” Light said.

Nate nodded slightly before turning away, taking a thread of hair between his fingers as he regarded the exhibit. “You had a good time growing up?”

Light hummed. “I suppose I did,” he answered, and took a moment to ruminate before continuing. “There isn’t much I have a hard time looking back on. It was pretty normal; parents had a stable marriage, I did well in school, only one death in the extended family. I don’t miss it, though, I’m not one of those people who regret taking on the responsibility of adulthood.”

“You don’t sound all that fond of it.”

Light gave him a strange look, though it didn’t convey disagreement. “Why, are you jealous?” he replied, sporting a grin.

Nate glanced up at him. “You’re implying I had a bad childhood?”

“Again, not an accusation. You’re the one who brought it up.”

“If it means I would have turned out like you, then no, I am not jealous.”

Light blinked, and for a beat he looked for certain like he was going to say _you’re one to talk._ He bit it back. “Are you always this polite with your dates?”

Nate hid a small grin. “You bring out the best in me.”

They continued to wander, looping around the circular path that made up the aquarium, checking out each exhibit that caught their eye. Light took interest in most of them, though he wasted little time reading the carefully arranged plaques. At some point, following a line of thought involving goldfish, Nate assumed, Light told him that his father hated pets with an anger he was far too nervous to question as a child and to this day had no explanation for. Nate replied that it was nice growing up with a dog, and asked Light if he resented his father. _I love my father_ , he said, and reminded him that there was a rule against pets in the dorm.

Eventually they were led to an open cafeteria-like room. The only thing that counted as a food stop was a row of vending machines to the side, but it still managed to be backed with students and touring families. The two of them made a mostly automatic decision to take a break and get something to drink.

It quickly turned out to be a bad decision. Two hours straight of background conversation and repetitive mechanical recordings wore on Nate’s nerves, but all of that was exacerbated in this echoey chamber. Nearly shouted half-sentences and the constant clicking of plastic and tin reverberated off the open walls, bouncing around Nate’s head like a rattle toy.

He felt a small pressure on his hand, thrumming with a pleasant, dry warmth. Nate didn’t look up to see Light’s face, frozen with a bottle in his hand like he was caught in a photograph, and neither did he speak. It didn’t make the noise go away, but it was something Nate could focus on, anchor himself to, and it was _Light’s hand_.

“I want seafood,” Light said, and they left.

It turned out there weren’t many places within the price range of two university students, but they did eventually stumble upon a sushi place. It was small, bare-walled, and “this place couldn’t have opened more than a week ago,” Light said, but it was a respite. It was mostly empty, save for the employees working behind the counter, and there was no music playing in the background to eat at Nate’s attention.

“You don’t have any food allergies, do you?” Light asked, sitting across from Nate.

Nate wrapped a thread of hair around his finger like the corked wire of a socket telephone. “If I was allergic to fish, I would have told you when you mentioned getting seafood,” He said, not meeting Light’s eyes.

Light shrugged, an almost-smirk on his lips. “You never know. A few years ago I had to call 119 on a girl in the middle of a date.”

“How did that happen?”

“I took her to a festival, a pretty big event where I lived. She was very excited about it. Not that far into the night, I asked her if she wanted to go to one of the food stalls, I don’t remember which, and she nodded along. A few minutes later she was choking and blue in the face. She was wearing a yukuta and didn’t bring a purse, so she wasn’t carrying any kind of emergency plunger.”

“She forgot she had a food allergy?”

Light shrugged. “I guess so. I had to wait with her until an ambulance came and follow her to the ER.”

“That sounds embarrassing.”

“Maybe it was for her. I was mostly just annoyed.”

Nate rolled his eyes, before idly glancing at the space below Light’s chin. “That must have been a huge hassle for you. How rude of her to trouble you with her health.”

Light nodded sagely. “It was a lesson learned the hard way. You always have to ask your date for allergies.”

Nate wondered on Light’s behalf it was weird to bring up past dates in a situation like this. It must carry the risk of sparking jealousy, though Nate felt none at Light’s dispassionate description of the girl. It might have come across as bragging if Light had bothered to mention her name, or if Nate believed Light cared enough to consider it.

On the other hand, Nate appreciated learning the small tidbit about Light’s past. It was more amusing than bothersome that it happened to make Light look like a jerk.

The owner of the restaurant came by to take their orders, writing their choices down on a notepad with a friendly smile on his face. They got their food soon enough, carried out by the same man, and Nate wondered if he was the only person working in this place.

“Wait, Nate said, face suddenly hard and looking at Light head on. The fork in Light’s hand froze, and he regarded Nate with a silent and confused worry.

Nate paused, swallowing tersely. “You’re not allergic to fish, are you?”

Light blinked, and then laughed. It was small, quiet, but at the same time hearty and seemingly endless, eyes crinkling at lips parting in toothy smiles. Staring, Nate swallowed again, in earnest this time, caught in what felt like headlights witnessing Light’s rare laugh.

It was a nice laugh.

“God, are you blushing?” Light asked, still grinning.

It seemed he was, an unpleasant warmth burning under the skin of Nate’s cheeks like he was suddenly struck by a fever. He averted his eyes under strict penalty, suddenly regarding the corner of Light’s menu with an embarrassed glare. Their makeshift waiter neglected retrieving them, instead allowing the table to clutter. “I cant control _that_ ,” Nate said stiffly.

Light gave a few dying spouts of laughter. “That was a horrible joke, I just want to let you know. Never do something like that again.”

“… But you’re laughing.”

“Maybe I am,” Light murmured through a hand now rubbing away his smile. Turning away, he stuck piece of sushi off of his plate before popping it into his mouth. Nate caught a glance in the corner of his eye, feeling strangely small again. He started on his own meal.

Time passed, amiable silences broken apart by occasional bursts of chatter. Light swallowed cleanly before opening his mouth. “Is this weird for you?”

Chewing for a moment longer, Nate swallowed in suit, still taking a moment to process the question. “I don’t mind sushi.”

“No, I don’t mean the food, I mean this. Dating.”

… He didn’t have an answer to that. Really, he wasn’t quite sure what this was, what it meant for them. What had changed, what would change. Considering Nate wasn’t really the dating type, he had little to go on. Looking away, “In general, or specifically this date?”

Light shrugged. “I was thinking the latter, but both, I suppose.”

“This isn’t exactly what I expected happening when I first met you.”

Light smirked - again, Nate had to wonder if that was a typical response. Nothing about this arrangement was typical, really. On paper, their sort of mutual understanding seemed more likely to spawn a shared distaste of each other, yet here they were. Nate didn’t know what ‘here’ was, but Light didn’t seem to mind and, as for himself, he quite enjoyed it.

“In general - it is strange, yes. As for what we are doing right now, I don’t find it unpleasant.”

“That’s a double negative,” Light said.

**Author's Note:**

> The original prompt was "Light is an exchange student a grade above Near at university, and they go on a date." Reading this over I realized that without this context someone might wonder why Light was going to school in America. Also, some day Moon River will liberate this planet and we'll all finally be free.


End file.
